The first All African Conference and Exhibition about the future management of Postharvest/Food Losses did attract over 600 participants from more than 60 countries to come to Nairobi/Kenya ! 71 studies were shown in different formats ( total audience or special workshops) over the three Conference days . Also field excursions were offered in an additional day.

Prof.Dr.B.Hallier presented his thoughts for a Global House of Harmony based on Economics, Ecology and Ethics demanding for Africa more Fair Trade and investment to introduce technologies especially for SMEs . Eliminating the postharvest losses could result in the fact that Africa is able to feed Africa sufficiently. But postharvest losses are also partly the result of problems at the pre-farm gate: therefore there is a Total Supply Chain Responsibility from farm to fork! Last but not least Africa has to be understood by its history - making the difference to continents like America, Asia or Europe (see also YouTube) .

06.03.2017: Challenge Food Waste

In the beginning of the 21st century due to global mass distribution the world is divided into countries with affluent society and poor countries where 80 percent of the children suffer from hunger. The explosion of population numbers will widen this gap - in the year 2050 about 40 percent more food is needed! If production at the best would keep its present volume, the prices for food will increase and the poorest of the poor will suffer even more. Research about the food distribution shows that at the moment nearly the same rate of food products is wasted as crop on the fields, due to insufficient storing and transportation, lack of processing, within the distribution and at the consumer level. Theoretically the gap between available food and demand could be closed by a better transfer of know-how and a change of consumer habits.

The first African Postharvest Congress organized under the leadership of the University of Nairobi/Kenya (Web Page) will bring together worldwide experts of the agriculture, processing, and total supply chain to work on solutions of this problem. The exhibition of the IKV-Club of international artists (Web Page) in the Museum of Nairobi wants to support the awareness for Food Waste as a challenge by joint exhibits of African and German artists. Moreover, a painting session with children of the Shangilia-slum is planned.

20.02.2017 : Qualification/Certificates

In 2015 an European Qualification Alliance (www.EQAsce.de) was established in Bonn/Germany to coordinate members in the legal form of a COOPERATIVE to develop qualifications and to provide joint certificates in the fields of Food Chains/ Risk and Crisis Management/ Food Safety & Health. Courses are part of a modular system and are covering topics from farm to fork - it is a schedule of life-long education also as an intertwine between academic and vocational programs.

The Bonn Office was followed by an Warsaw/Poland Ofice and will be further expanded in 2017 by a Segovia/Spain-Office. EQA is promoted by Prof.Dr.B.Hallier/ European Retail Academy Link

15.01.2017 : USA Symposium

For the first time VUA is organizing jointly with LSU and SUA a symposium in the USA. The topic will be "Agricultural Universities in the 21st Century: Importance of Technology and Information Transfer for Program Sustainability.

The symposium will be held at the Campus of the Louisiana State University ; details about the program, accommodation and registration : www.regonline.com/2017symposium

15.12.2016: Standards Needed

Global imbalances between supply and demand within the Total Supply Chain need a constructive dialogue about the understanding of how modern supply chains work and how commercial practices could be optimized.

Tools for this optimization are Consistency and Capacity, Data and Fair Benefit Sharing. The KLU LogisticsUniversity/Hamburg/Germany together with the ECR-Community Shrinkage & On-Shelf Availability Group is disseminating its proposals in an International Workshop in Hamburg on 19th January 2017. Retail participating will be among others Ahold, Carrefour, European Retail Academy, Lidl, Metro, Tesco and Walmart.